Convertible container construction



May 1963 F. A. BUONAURO CONVERTIBLE CUNTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1961 FIG. 1.

FIG. 2.

FIG. 35.

INVENT OR FRANK A.BUONAURO FIG. 4.

3,089,605 Patented May 14, 1963 3,089,605 CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Frank A. Buonauro, 1219 Summit Ave., Union City, NJ. Filed June 9, 1961, Ser. No. 116,068 2 Claims. (Cl. 215-995) This invention relates to a two-part convertible container for comestibles and has as its primary object to provide means whereby the container may serve a dual purpose as a storage vessel and also as an attractive serving vessel, the conversion being accomplished by providing a removable base member which may be used for its normal function as a support and may also be used as a cover or lid to seal the contents of the container for storage or shipping purposes.

Another object is to provide a convertible container which may be filled with a comestible such as parfait, ice cream, frozen custard, and similar desserts at the point of production, the product then being frozen and shipped to distributors for storage until the container is sold to consumer who may then serve the contents from an attractive container which can be re-used as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide the base member with means to resist accidental removal thereof when it is used as a cover member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the type referred to which may be easily and economically molded from a plastic material such as styrene.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation showing the container assembled for use as a serving vessel.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded front elevation showing the base member removed from the bottom of the container and in position to be placed over the open top of the container to serve as a cover.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2 with the upper portion of the container body shown in dotted lines.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the base member.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates the body portion of the container and B the dual purpose base member. The body A may be manufactured in various shapes such as square, rectangular or triangular; however, for purposes of illustration the body shown in the drawings is generally circular in cross-section and has a closed bottom 1 having a tapered socket 2 depending therefrom. The top of the container is flared outwardly to form a lip 3 provided with a chamfered edge 4.

The member B is hollow and has a top wall 5, sloping upwardly to dome 6 having an abutment shoulder 7 surrounding a tapered stud 8. An annular skirt 9 depends from the wall and has formed on the inner surface thereof a plurality of spaced ribs 10. At the point where the skirt 9 merges with the top wall 5 there is formed a fillet area 11.

The body portion A and member B of the container are both molded from plastic and are of such a thickness that the lip 3 and the skirt 9 may be flexed slightly by hand pressure.

After the body portion A has been filled with a comestible and it is desired to use the member B is a lid, it is merely necessary to move the same downwardly from the position shown in FIGURE 2 so that the ribs 10 on skirt 9 snap over the edge 4 of lip 3 and by continued downward pressure the edge 4 will wedge in the fillet area 11 of the base and form a frictionally tight fit. If, by chance, the member B was struck while in its seated position, it might become dislodged to the point where it would be slightly canted; however, the ribs 10 on that side of the skirt which is at the higher level will engage the edge 4 and resist complete removal of the cap. This means to resist accidental removal of the cap is important to prevent possible loss or deterioration of the contents of the container due to rough handling in packing or shipping a plurality of the containers.

When it is desired to consume the contents of the container, the member B may be easily removed by pulling upwardly thereon, and at the same time, slightly squeezing the lip 3. When this has been accomplished, the member B is used as a supporting base by pushing the stud 8 into the socket 2 which, due to the complementary taper of each of the latter members, forms a substantially tight friction fit. After the contents of the container have been consumed, it may be reused as often as desired.

As previously mentioned, the container may take a variety of shapes as well as surface ornamentation and with certain types of comestibles it may serve as a mold. For this purpose, the contents may be readily deposited upon a serving dish by inverting the container and tapping the bottom 1 thereof. The outwardly flared lip 3 facilitates the use of the container for this purpose.

While the invention has been described with respect to the presently preferred embodiment which has been found entirely satisfactory, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container of semi-rigid material for use in storing and serving comestibles comprising in combination, a body portion having closed bottom and an open top and a container converging side wall therebetween, the diameter of said top being greater than the diameter of said bottom, said top having a flared chamfered lip, a boss depending from said bottom and having a tapered bore, a dome-shaped convertible base and cover member having a top wall, an annular skirt extending downwardly therefrom, and providing a fillet area between the top wall and the skirt to receive the chamfered lip of said member when the latter is used as a cover, a plurality of aligned spaced ribs along the inner surface of the bottom edge of said skirt to provide snap fit means to resist accidental removal of said member when used as a cover, and a tapered stud extending outwardly from said top wall and adapted to frictionally fit within the bore of said boss when said member is used as a base.

2. A container for use in storing and serving comestibles comprising, in combination, a body portion having an open top and a closed bottom with an inwardly converging continuous side wall, said top having an outwardly flared lip provided with a chamfered edge, a boss depending from said bottom and having a socket therein, a combined base and cover member having only a top wall and an annular skirt extending downwardly therefrom, a stud extending outwardly from the top wall of said member and removably fitted in said socket when said member is used as a base for serving the contents of the container, a plurality of aligned spaced ribs on the inner face of said skirt, said ribs adapted to snap over the chamfered edge of said lip and resist accidental removal of said member from the body portion of the container when used as a cover therefor.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,169,426 Morton Aug. 15, 2,700,249 Miller Jan. 25, 2,996,208 Schroeder Aug. 15,

10 FOREIGN PATENTS 662,500 Great Britain Dec. 5, 

1. A CONTAINER OF SEMI-RIGID MATERIAL FOR USE IN STORING AND SERVING COMESTIBLES COMPRISNG IN COMBINATION, A BODY PORTION HAVING CLOSED BOTTOM AND AN OPEN TOP AND A CONTAINER CONVERGING SIDE WALL THEREBETWEEN, THE DIAMETER OF SAID TOP BEING GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BOTTOM, SAID TOP HAVING A FLARED CHAMFERED LIP, A BOSS DEPENDING FROM SAID BOTTOM AND HAVING A TAPERED BORE, A DOME-SHAPED CONVERTIBLE BASE AND COVER MEMBER HAVING A TOP WALL, AN ANNULAR SKIRT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, AND PROVIDED A FILLET AREA BETWEEN THE TOP WALL AND THE SKIRT TO RECEIVE THE CHAMFERED LIP OF SAID MEMBER WHEN THE LATTER IS USED AS A COVE, A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED SPACED RIGS ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID SKIRT TO PROVIDE SNAP FIT MEANS TO RESIST ACCIDENTAL REMOVAL OF SAID MEMBER WHEN USED AS A COVER, AND A TAPERED STUD EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL AND ADAPTED TO FRICTIONALLY FIT WHEN THE BORE OF SAID BOSS WHEN MEMBER IS USED AS A BASE. 